About Us

The Message

BETedu can help you start putting the pieces together for your educational future. Working under the belief that every student in the United States deserves the opportunity to receive a great education, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Viacom/BET Networks have teamed up to figure out ways to improve education, raise graduation rates and better prepare students for life after high school. Explore our five-pronged approach to discovering life after high school:

The Issue

Today in the United States nearly 6.2 million students in the United States between the ages of 16 and 24 in 2007 dropped out of high school. Most of the dropouts were Latino or black, according to a report by the Center for Labor Market Studies at Northeastern University. Yet graduating from high school is a stepping stone to countless professional and educational opportunities including four year-college, vocational education, community college and so much more. Education is the key to unlocking a bright future:

High School graduates are 8 times less likely to go to jail.

High School graduates are 7 times more likely to own their homes later in life.

Over a lifetime, a college grad can earn, on average, $1 million dollars more than a high school dropout.

Getting a degree after high school means you can earn double the income than someone who didn’t finish high school.

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